Poultry feeder



C. SOMMERS Oct. 29, 1929.

POULTRY FEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 16, 1928 gwuemtoz l K Zar/es, Sempre/'8,

Oct. 29, 1929. c. soMMERs 1,733,831

PoLTRY FEEDER lFiled Nov. 16, 192e 2 sheets-sheet 2 Zar/:45" Sommersa Patented st. Z9, 1929 man POULTRY FEEDER `Application filed November (16, 1928. Serial No. 319,838.

This invention relates to a feeder for poultry, one of the objects being to provide a simple, compact and eiicient device of this character Which may be economically manufactured, and which may be readily kept clean and in working order.

Still another object is to provide a poultry feeder adaptedvto permit the simultaneous feeding of'avniaximuin number of fovvls, and 1o? in which eilicient provision is made for preventing the feed fromv clogging in the hopper.

Other objects Will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel forni, coinbination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accoinpanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings; Y 2o Figure 1 is altop'plan view of a poultry feeder embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational vieW thereof.

Figure 8 is a central longitudinal'sectional View of the saine.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section on line 4-4 of Figure 2; and i Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the Gili embodiment of the invention illustrated includes a supporting stand having pairs of end legs 5 rigidly connected at their upper ends by means of cross bars 5 and rigidly.

braced against movement toward or away Lfrom eacli other by means of longitudinal strap-metal braces 7 rigidly7 connecting the legs at each side of the supporting stand.

Centrally pivoted as at 8"L against the-inner sides of the cross bars 6 and located respectively at the opposite ends of the Vsupporting stand are transverse horizontal supporting bars 8 Whose endsproject outwardly `beyond v the legs. Aat opposite sides ofthe feeder and i have longitudinal perch bars'v9 fixed upon vthe ends thereof.v A lbngitudinal'percli bar 9 is thus mounted at each siderof the supporting stand. p

I also provide a transverse bar or brace 10 to which the. intermediate portions of the "Q longitudinal leg braces 7 are fastened as at 11. Rigidly secured to and projectingoutvvardly from the cross bars 6 are end supporting arms or brackets 12- Which are arranged in pairsand in spacedrelation at the n opposite ends of the f supportingvstand. Transverse end perch bars '13* are secured upon the outer ends of the arms vor brackets 12 directly at the opposite ends ofthe longi-A tudinal perch b-ars'9. L V y 'l t,

` Reinovably seated up fn, the: *crossl bars 6, 6o' Within the space bounded by the perch 'bars 9 and 13 isa pan-shaped base 14A1liaving an upstanding marginal-rim provided Withan inwardly projecting continuous; guard flange, 15 on theupper edge thereof. Disposed cen-` 05 trally of'and upon the bottom ofthe pan 14 is an inverted /shaped feed spreader 16 hav ing sloping end Walls 17 yThis spreader 1.6v .is of a size ,to leave auniform space entirely m about and between thessaine andthel of:y the pan 14 so as to provide opposed sidefand end feed trouglisasjat 18, A An open bottom hopper 19is, mounted over; the feed spreader 16 atits lower endQ'fthe"l side andl 'end-` Walls kof the( hopperV being i dis-'' '75' posed in spaced relation to thev Walls of the feed spreader 16 and invspaced, relationftoiA and inwardly of the endsjand sides ofthe rima. of the pan 14, thus perinittingfree access to, the feed Within the troughs 18ion` theipart `8o' of foivls occupyingtheperches 9 lor 13. viously, this arrzririgementl permits the ac-` commodation of a maximum numberof foivls Which may feed f'atrany'or lall .points about thehopper. The vflange-:15 effectively prevents a material amountofthe feed l froni bef-1 ing thrown outlof the feed troughs ontoVt/he` ground and wasted.'. 1 l

Alined longitudinal supporting rods. `or bolts 2O are arranged-atopposite ends ofl theY pan 14 intermediatethe sides' of the latter, said bolts vbeing respectively mounted'at their*V opposite ends in openings provided inthe end Walls 17 of the feed spreader k16 andthe adjacent `end Wall or portion of the rimy of pan 14 as shown clearly in F igurej. These bolts or rods are firmly held inpla-ce by means` of nuts or theV like and are horizontally dis-V posed above the bottom ofthe pan 14 as shown. The end Walls of the hopper 19 have i 100' notches 21 formed in and centrally of the lower edges thereof for 'seating reception upon the intermediate portions of the supporting rods or bolts 20, thus pivotally sustaining the hopper 19 at the requiredelevation above the bottom of the pan 14 and in such relation to the feed spreader 16 as to permit the feed to How by gravity downthe sides and ends of the feed spreader into the troughs 18 from the feed hopper. Inorder to aid in centralizing the hopper relative -to the ends of the pan 14, suitable spacing sleeves 22 are fitted on the outer end portions of the bolts or rods so as .to be abutted at their inner ends by the end walls of the hopper 19 when `the .latter is operatively disposed as shown in the several views. The end walls of the hopper 19 may be suitably braced by 'means of a horizontal or longitudinal brace rod .23 connecting said end wallssufliciently above the bottom of the hopper l19 to clear the ktopof the feedspreader 16 when the hopper isy operatively positioned as shown in Figure 3. In order to permit displacement 'Y ofthe supporting ,bars 8 at one side of the ofthe hopper laterallyfroin the pan and from over the feed spreader 16 to an .out-off the-way position, and yet sustain the hopper in a substantially vertical position when seated upon thebolts or rods 20,`a pair of links 24 are pivoted to the outer end portions feeder andare pivotally attached at .their upper ends to theadjacent side of the hopper near lthe top thereof as at 25, the pivotal con-` nection'fof the links 24 vattheir lower ends y withthe supportingbars 8 being indicated at 26. It is'thus app'arentthat the hopper 19 s may be readilyelevated `or lifted off of the supporting bolts or rods 20 and vswung laterally to oneA side with the links 24,7thus pering purposes. l On `the other hand, when the hopper is seated upon the bolts `or rods 2O the links24 will occupy an upwardly and inwardly inclined position so as to effectively l sustain the hopper in a vertical operative por walls of the cover 2 so as to project 'above the vcover 27 vand -which is of flat form orV the latter, and journaled in the upper ends "of the uprights28 as at29is` a horizontal bar 30 which maybe used as a handle for raising elongated cross section so thatit will tilt or rotate should a fowl attempt'toperch thereon,

Obviously,y 'this 'effectively prevents fowls from perching on the top of the feed hopper. From the foregoing descriptionit Will'be seen that the present invention provides va simple, compactand efficient-poultry feeder whichV may be economically.manufactured and readily kept clean, and which provides mittingeasy accessto the pan 14 forclean-l for the simultaneous feeding of a maximum Y number of fowls.

bars 9, the bars 8 are slightly tiltedone way j or the other so as to correspondingly tilt the feedhopper 19 through themedium of links 24 and induce movement of the feed from the hopper should 4the feedtend to clog between the lower portion of the hopper and the feed spreader 16.

Minor Achanges may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the `invention asclaimed.

` What I claim as new is:

1. In a poultry feeder, a pan-.shaped base, a 'feed spreader centrally disposed .within said base, an open bottom feed .hopper mounts ed at' its lower end over said feed spreader to leave a continuous feedl trough about the same, said feed spreader having sloping kend Walls, `horizontal supporting rods'connectino* the end walls of the feed spreader with the adjacent end walls ofthe-rim of the base, said feed hopper having central notches in `the lower edgesv of the end walls thereof for a feed spreader centrally displaced-within said base, an open bottom feed hopper mounted at its lower endover said feed spreader to leave a continuous feed trough about the samesaid feed spreader having sloping end walls, horizontal supporting rods' connecting the kend walls of the feed spreader with the adjacentend walls of the rim of the base, said feed hopper havingcentral notches in the lower edges of the end walls thereof for removable and pivotal seating reception upon said rods, means for sustaining the hopperinV a vertical position when seated on said rods, said last named means permitting lateralV displacement of the hopper from operative position over said feedv spreader and comprising a pair of links pivotally attached to.

one side of the hopper'nearth'e top thereof, and pivoted perch-supporting bars to which the lower ends 'of said links are pivotallyatf tached.

3. In a poultryy feeder` a supporting stand comprising pairs of end legs rigidly connected at their upper ends by means of transverse bars, 'transverse horizontal supporting bars pivoted at opposite ends of the supportingV stand atl the top thereof and 'having theiropposite ends projecting beyond the legsatop posit sides ofsaid stand, longitudinal perch bars mounted upon theV projecting vends, of

said supporting bars, supporting arms rigid with and projecting outwardly from opposite ends of said supporting stand, transverse and perch bars mounted upon the outer ends of said supporting arms, a pan-shaped base mounted on the top of the supporting stand within the space bounded by said longitudinal and end perch bars, a feed spreader centrally mounted in the pan-shape base, an open bottom hopper tiltably mounted over th'e spreader within the rim of the base to leave a continuous feed trough in the latter about said hopper, and links connecting said pivoted perch supporting bars to the hopper.

4. In a poultry feeder, a pan-shaped base, a feed spreader mounted in the base central- -ly thereof, supporting bolts at opposite ends of the base sustained by the latter and the ends of the feed spreader, a feed hopper re- Y movably seated on said supporting bolts, and means sustaining the hopper in a vertical position adapted to permit lateral displacement thereof from over the feed spreader.

5. In a poultry feeder, a pan-shaped base, a feed spreader mounted in the base centrally thereof, supporting bolts at opposite ends of the base sustained by the latter and the ends of the feed spreader, a feed hopper removably seated on said supporting bolts` means sustaining the hopper in a vertical position adapted to permit lateral displacement thereof from over the feed spreader, and spacing members on said bolts adapted to abut the ends of the hopper at their inner ends to centralize the hopper with respect to the ends of the base and the ends of the feed spreader when the hopper is seated on said supporting bolts.

In a poultry feeder, a base comprising a feed spreader and a continuous feed trough about said feed spreader, horizontal supporting elements sustained by the ends of the feed spreader and the ends of the base above the bottom of the feed trough, and a feed hopper removably seated on said horizontal supporting elements. y y

7 In a poultry feeder, a base comprising a feed spreader and a continuous feed trough about said feed spreader, horizontal supporting elements sustained by the ends of the feed spreader and the ends of the base above the bottom of the feed trough, a feed hopper removably seated on said horizontal supporting elements, and means to sustain the hopper in a vertical position, said last-named means permitting lateral displacement of the hopper relative to the base.

8. In a poultry feeder, a base comprising a feed spreader and a continuous feed trough aboutsaid feed spreader, horizontal supportino elements sustained by the ends of the feed spreader and the ends of the base above the bottom of the feed trough, a feed hopperremovably seated on said horizontal supporting elements, means to sustain the hopper in a vertical position, said last-named means permitting lateral displacement of the hopper relative to the base,fand means to sustain the lower end of the hopper against lateral displacement when seated on said horizontal supporting elements.

9. In a poultryfeeder, a pan-shaped base, a feed spreader centrally disposed within said base, an open-bottom feed hopper pivotally mounted at its lower end over said feed spreader for lateral tilting movement relative to the latter, and movable perch bars operatively connected to the feed hopper for tilting the latter when said perch bars are depressed 1l. In a poultry feeder, a feed spreader, a

laterally tiltable feed hopper mounted over said feedrspreader, and depressible perch bars operatively connected to the feed hopper for tilting the latter.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

CHARLES SOMMERS. 

